The 'Chutist

"Forty-eight years ago, before a large
crowd of awed Coleridge townspeople and the curious
from all over the county, William E. Winterringer, then a lad
of 20, dropped from the clouds
after an ascension in a balloon which he purchased several weeks
before. In accomplishing
this feat with no physical injuries, this daring young man was
duplicating a hazardous stunt
which he had witnessed only twice before in his young life, and
for which he had received
absolutely no training."

So began an account of the daredevil career
of Hartington native William Winterringer,
published in his hometown paper in 1936. The report continued:

"Since that never to be forgotten
day in l888, this same man has floated up into the clouds
and then dropped gently to earth in a parachute before carnival
crowds in all sections of the
United States on no less than 2,915 occasions. Add to this, 65
to 75 jumps from the cabins of
airplanes and you have a general idea of the thrilling career
that has been the life story of the
former Hartington man.

"Here Tuesday for a visit with his
brother, the famous 'chute jumper minimized the perils of
his numerous crowd pleasing stunts. Despite the fact that he
has wrestled with the elements
and challenged Fate on all his hair raising jumps, only twice
does Mr. Winterringer recall
being injured. The first occasion he escaped with nothing more
serious than bad bruises.

"That second occasion might very nearly
have been disastrous, however. It occurred in 1903,
comparatively early in his career. A change in wind direction
after Mr. Winterringer had
made his ascension upset his calculations and he found himself
being dragged after the fast
moving balloon toward an immovable wood building. Bracing himself
for the expected jolt
by extending his foot, Mr. Winterringer remembered no more after
that action. Seven hours
later he awoke in a hospital cot and was told that the damage
had been a broken ankle and
other injuries over his entire body. To test his nerve, three
months later he went through his
act at the same town but with entirely satisfactory results.

The average height of Winterringer's drops
have been about 3,000 feet, most of them ranging
from 1,500 to 6,000. Already the oldest parachute jumper in the
world, he vows that nothing
but physical injuries will keep him from fulfilling the desire
to continue his jumps until he is
90! He is now arranging dates for the season, his price of $75
for a jump on any type of
occasion still standing."